Chapter 1

“I have come to judge your sins.”

The worst kinds of people never recognize their own wrongdoing.

“Who the hell are you people? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

And more often than not, they were fools as well.

“Child exploitation, human trafficking, illegal slave trading, and countless other unspeakable atrocities.”

In the quiet alley where the last traces of darkness still lingered before dawn, Artiella calmly recited the charges.

The handsome-looking man glanced around at the people surrounding him. Then, with a mocking grin, he casually shoved Artiella—the smallest among them—on the shoulder.

“I was already found not guilty, so what are you gonna do about it? Got any evidence? Huh? Show me the evidence!”

She had never expected this to end quietly.

The alley was narrow enough already. If curious onlookers gathered, it would only become troublesome. Determined to finish everything before sunrise, Artiella spoke in a chilling voice.

“Evidence? If I’ve come here myself, why would I need any?”

She shrugged off the robe draped over her shoulders. At the same time, the burly men surrounding the criminal removed theirs as well.

Beneath them were brilliant white knight uniforms and deep blue capes.

“N-No way… E-Edelion’s Holy Knights?”

The arrogant man stumbled backward in panic, only to find the knights blocking every escape.

Artiella flicked her tousled golden hair back with deliberate elegance.

Then, with flawless poise, she drew her sword and leveled it at the man’s throat.

It was the Holy Sword, Bardo—its blade unsharpened.

Every citizen of the Empire knew the legendary weapon. Only a true knight who protected the weak and upheld justice could use it to strike down evil.

And two years ago, the entire Empire had been thrown into an uproar when, for the first time in centuries, someone had been recognized as its wielder.

For more reasons than one.

“I am Artiella Soltis, Commander of the Holy Knight Order. By the authority granted to me by the gods, I will now confirm your sins and pass judgment.”

Fortunately, the man wasn’t completely stupid. He understood exactly what “judgment” meant.

Before the Holy Knights could even restrain him, he threw himself flat onto the ground.

“I only took in homeless children and women, fed them, and gave them shelter! A divine trial? This is all a misunderstanding!”

“If your kindness had truly been genuine, the Holy Sword wouldn’t be able to harm you. So what exactly are you afraid of?”

Looking down at him with icy eyes, Artiella adjusted her grip on the sword with both hands.

The man desperately crawled forward and clutched at the hem of her trousers.

“Look into my eyes! Do I really look like a bad person?”

“Yes. Definitely.”

“T-That can’t be! Look again!”

He lifted his face pitifully, blinking his eyes as mournfully as he could.

“I’ve heard rumors about the Holy Sword’s master. They say if you’re handsome enough, you’ll let someone off innocent.”

That rumor—and his reputation as one of the Empire’s Five Great Beauties—were all he had left to rely on.

To stir her sympathy and piety, he bit the inside of his mouth until tears welled in his eyes.

“I’ll donate every coin I own to the temple! Please… let me stand trial in an ordinary court instead!”

For the first time, a faint change crossed Artiella’s expression.

A tiny wrinkle formed between her brows.

The corners of her lips twitched as though she were suppressing a smile.

So she’s still just a woman after all, he thought triumphantly.

Commander of the Holy Knights, wielder of the Holy Sword… doesn’t matter.

Growing confident, he bit the other side of his mouth to produce even more tears.

Strong women were always weak to the tears of handsome men.

“S-Sob… I swear I’ll live honestly from now on. Please… M-Miss Knight…?”

Then he froze.

“…Take… it… away.”

Artiella muttered with her head lowered.

The shadows filling the alley seemed to gather around her, and the surrounding air grew oppressively heavy.

“Pardon…? What do you mean…?”

The man fell silent as he witnessed something impossible.

A pale green radiance—the same color as its master’s eyes—flowed into the Holy Sword, weaving symbols that resembled an ancient language.

At the same moment…

A blade appeared where none had existed before.

Meanwhile, the Holy Knights quietly began stepping backward.

Only then did the man realize what was happening and hurriedly looked behind him.

The knights had drawn sacred signs in the air and begun reciting prayers.

Prayers for the one about to die.

There was no need to ask who those prayers were meant for.

“W-Wait! Please… just hear me out!”

Artiella raised the sword vertically before her face.

She stared at the pitiful man.

Then her brow furrowed.

A moment later, she gagged.

“Ugh… disgusting.”

This was both the Holy Sword’s blessing…

…and its curse.

The power to see souls rather than appearances.

He’s even worse than the investigation reported.

His soul bore the full weight of every sin he had committed.

It reeked of decay, rotting away as though it belonged to an undead monster.

Protect goodness. Shun evil.

The faithful Holy Knight obeyed the gods’ command to the letter.

With a generous helping of punches and kicks.

“Don’t shove that hideous, disgusting face in front of me! You’re so ugly you make me sick! You monster!”

The man gaped in utter shock.

Never in thirty years of life had he suffered such an insult.

As the sun slowly rose, people began wandering into the alley.

It felt as though every one of them was pointing and laughing at him.

Was this…

…the punishment the Holy Sword dealt to evildoers?

Even before Bardo’s pale green slash reached his body…

…his soul had already fallen into hell from sheer humiliation.

After the judgment had been carried out and every victim rescued, the Holy Knight Order returned to the temple.

Artiella headed straight for the rear garden.

It was overflowing with blooming spring flowers in every imaginable color.

“Haaah!”

She took a deep breath, and the sweet fragrance of violets filled her senses.

“Just looking at something pretty makes me feel alive again.”

You’d think she’d have gotten used to it by now.

Instead, each passing day made the souls of the condemned appear even more horrifying, leaving her stomach in knots.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Artiella quietly steadied herself.

“Arti, I heard today was especially difficult.”

A calm voice came from behind.

Her eyes snapped open.

Turning around, she saw a graceful woman whose silver hair was every bit as serene as her expression. She walked over carrying a single letter.

“Hahaha… Saint Yusiel, I’m back.”

Artiella greeted her with the guilty smile of someone caught red-handed.

Saint Yusiel sighed.

“So… I hear you once again displayed absolutely no dignity.”

“And while wearing your Holy Knight uniform, you also resorted to excessive violence.”

Someone had been awfully quick to report her.

Artiella laughed awkwardly.

Yusiel smiled back.

“Didn’t I tell you to be careful?”

The gentle-looking saint suddenly stepped behind her—

Smack!

—and slapped her squarely across the back.

“Aaah! That hurts, Yusiel!”

The two were fraternal twin sisters.

And each other’s closest friend in the world.

When Yusiel awakened divine power at the age of fifteen and was taken to the temple as the new Saint, Artiella had chosen to become a Holy Knight so she could remain by her sister’s side.

She trained herself relentlessly to ensure she would never tarnish Yusiel’s reputation.

That effort eventually made her the wielder of the Holy Sword.

Ironically, it only gave her sister one more thing to worry about.

“No matter how terrible the criminal is, you can’t just blurt out things like ‘ugly,’ ‘hideous,’ and ‘disgusting.’”

“But he really tried to seduce me with that ugly face.”

“Was that after you saw his soul through the Holy Sword?”

“No. That came afterward. Before that, I just didn’t think he was handsome. I guess all those stories about women falling for his face were exaggerated.”

Shuddering, Artiella vigorously rubbed her arms.

“Maybe your standards are just too high.”

“What are you talking about? A man’s soul has to be beautiful to be truly handsome.”

“Doesn’t his appearance have to be beautiful too?”

“Well, obviously. If a man like that actually existed, I’d propose to him on the spot and drag him over to introduce him to you. But he doesn’t. Men like that don’t exist.”

Yusiel shook her head with a sigh.

Then she handed over the parchment she’d been carrying.

“This complaint arrived the moment you left.”

Even the gentle Saint couldn’t hide the annoyance on her face.

“The Emperor again?”

“Yes. He’s insisting the criminal should be punished under Imperial law instead, and that you stop conducting divine judgments.”

Artiella’s brows shot upward in irritation.

“That incompetent fool has some nerve. He’s the one who let a vicious criminal walk free because there wasn’t enough evidence. I was the one who had to clean up the mess afterward.”

There was a reason people from across the Empire flocked to Edelion seeking divine judgment.

“They really are shameless.”

The Imperial family’s quiet attempts to keep the temple in check had continued ever since the Empire’s founding.

After the Holy Sword’s new master appeared, the struggle for influence had only intensified.

“Must have a lot to hide. I even heard one of the people who bought slaves from today’s criminal was a member of the Imperial family.”

Artiella smiled dangerously.

Recognizing that expression, Yusiel nodded meaningfully.

Just then, a priest came sprinting toward them, his face deathly pale.

“Saint! This is terrible! The Imperial Palace has dispatched soldiers to arrest Lady Artiella!”

“Perfect.”

A legal opportunity…

…to teach the Empire a lesson.